The present invention relates generally to the medical treatment field and, more particularly, to a method of treating the symptoms of panic attacks resulting from panic disorder, agoraphobia, social phobia and claustrophobia.
Anxiety has been defined as a feeling of fear, dread or apprehension that arises without a clear or appropriate justification. Anxiety includes a number of symptoms that are physical, psychological and behavioral in nature. Anxiety during a panic attack may manifest itself in a number of physical signs that are typically produced from over activity of the sympathetic nervous system or even from tension in the skeletal muscles. These physical manifestations include palpitations, dry mouth, dilation of the pupils, sweating, throat tightening, trembling, dizziness and even nausea. Psychological manifestations include irritability, restlessness and loss of concentration. Behavioral manifestations primarily include avoidance behavior: that is, running away from the feared object or situation.
This avoidance behavior is commonly associated with specific environments including shopping malls, stores, restaurants, church services, meetings, classes, automobiles (particularly on bridges, in tunnels or in congested traffic), airplanes and elevators. Many of these xe2x80x9cagoraphobic environmentsxe2x80x9d may be characterized as an enclosed space with a high ratio of the number of people to the volume of air in the enclosed space. Of course, where a relatively large number of individuals are exhaling carbon dioxide (CO2) into a relatively small volume of enclosed space the ambient level of carbon dioxide rises. In fact the CO2 level may rise by as much as 200% or more above the level present in the ambient outdoor atmosphere.
The effects of elevated levels of inspired carbon dioxide on the human brain have been studied. Specifically, carbon dioxide""s local tissue vasodilatation effect is the major factor affecting cerebral blood flow. In healthy controls, low concentrations of inspired CO2 have been found to produce central nervous system stimulation. For example, the administration of 5% CO2 has been shown to produce mental confusion, brain vasodilatation, elevated blood pressure and pulse, increased myocardial contractility and constriction of skeletal muscles. Concentrations of 10% or higher have a central nervous system depressant effect in healthy controls and may lead to loss of consciousness within as little as 10 minutes. At 30%, carbon dioxide becomes an anesthetic.
The present inventors are the first to recognize that raised ambient levels of carbon dioxide act as a stimulus for panic attacks in certain xe2x80x9cCO2 hypersensitivexe2x80x9d individuals. The present invention relates to a method for reducing or eliminating these carbon dioxide induced attacks by means of a relatively simple and unique method.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a method for treating the symptoms of panic disorder in an individual in a simple and straightforward manner to obtain more effective results than provided by prior art approaches.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for treating and substantially eliminating the symptoms of panic disorder in an individual by reducing the levels of inspired carbon dioxide thereby eliminating the xe2x80x9cchemical triggerxe2x80x9d which induces panic disorder in many individuals.
Additional objects, advantages and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention as described herein, an improved method is provided for treating the symptoms of panic disorder. The method may be broadly defined as including the step of reducing the level of inspired carbon dioxide in the individual. More specifically, enclosed spaces frequented by a large number of individuals typically are characterized by increased levels of ambient carbon dioxide. Many individuals suffering from panic disorder are sensitive to these increased carbon dioxide levels. The present invention reduces the amount of carbon dioxide inspired by these individuals to levels generally associated with the outdoor atmosphere or environment. When the level of inspired carbon dioxide is maintained below the CO2 sensitivity threshold of the individual, the chemical trigger that induces the panic attack is effectively removed and the panic attack that would otherwise occur is eliminated.
More specifically describing the invention, the method includes the scrubbing of carbon dioxide from the air being inspired by the individual. This may, for example, be accomplished by providing a carbon dioxide scrubbing device in the ventilation system for the enclosure or by wearing a breathing device equipped with a carbon dioxide adsorbent. Advantageously, by maintaining the carbon dioxide levels in the inspired air below substantially 600 ppm and more preferably 300 ppm, i.e. the level of carbon dioxide in the outdoor atmosphere, many individuals are able to substantially reduce or completely avoid symptoms commonly associated with panic attacks as well as elevated blood pressure and pulse, increased myocardial contractility and constriction of skeletal muscles.
Still other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description wherein there is shown and described a preferred embodiment of this invention, simply by way of illustration of one of the modes best suited to carry out the invention. As it will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.